The Gospel text in the legacy of N. F. Fedorov and the idea of projectivity of literature

The article discusses the features of the interpretation of the gospel text by the philosopher N. F. Fedorov. It demonstrates that for the philosopher, the Gospel is not only the “eternal book” of humanity that influenced the development of literary and artistic creativity, but also a life-transforming project accomplished in the unity of human effort and God’s grace. According to Fedorov’s historiosophical model, evangelical images and plots mark the transition from “history as a fact,” based on fratricidal strife and struggle, to “history as a project,” in which the human race consciously and freely chooses the path of following Christ, accepts the ideal of love and sacrifice as the basis of thought and action, and then to “history as an act,” which becomes the realization of the “good news” about the Kingdom of God, the “work of salvation,” the work of resurrection and regulation. The fate of the prodigal son, the prudent robber, the centurion, Zacchaeus, etc. in Fedorov’s interpretation, they symbolize the turn of humanity from the “fallen state” to the divine-human service. The projective approach to evangelical images and plots echoes the philosopher’s projective approach to literary texts and is aligned with the philosopher’s interpretation of the world literary types - Hamlet, Manfred, Faust, Don Juan, who, like the characters of a gospel story, act as carriers of certain ideals and images of action. However, unlike the latter, they remain within the framework of the “minor” choice. Fedorov asserts the ideal of “universal realism,” which sets the prospect of the world’s transformation. The philosopher considers the adult choice of literature, its missionary role in the liturgization of creativity, part of which may be a new development of gospel themes and plots. Just as in the analysis of literary works Fedorov builds on the plots of “Faust,” “Dead Souls,” he builds the stories of the prudent robber, Lazarus, etc., stretches the threads of interaction between the gospel plots, reconstructs the links of the gospel story, creating projects of future novels that the masters of the word should embody.